Language and Technology

To SOAS for a conference on technology and language learning run by its CETL. Programme is HERE. Astonishingly for a technology conference, no wifi allowed so no communication from the inside. Ah well, at least got some proposals written in the boring sessions (there were a few)

What the academic speakers don't get, is that this field is about dynamism, energy, initiative and taking part. I heard at least three funeral orations, I am sure.

Honourable exception: Graham Davies. A consultant well past retirement (by his own confession) who is more energised and participative than all the post-doc whippersnappers put together. Check him out, and his language lab at Edunation in second life. He goes by the name of Groovy Winkler and Second Lifers would do well to befriend him and get the tour. A gripping use of the Startrek concept of the holodeck, to beam the language learners into every conceivable setting and really stretch their social and metalinguistic powers. Bravo EU for supporting this guy.

Saw a demo of a videoconference-linked joint class format between Aberystwyth (Wales) and Masaryk (Czech Rep). The setting means that the learners are also picking up mediation, film use, technology... as they learn language. The Welsh group is mostly Asian and exposes the Czech learners to different accents. The Wales learners are doing a foundation access course and come out with social confidence as well as English. Some slides here